Buying seasonal produce is a good choice for staying healthy and fall is the time to start enjoying more vegetables. Autumn is the time of year for hearty meals that warm up your body, such as soups, stews, and casseroles, all of which taste their best with more vegetables. Not sure which fall vegetables you’ll enjoy? You might be surprised. Here are some fall produce favorites you can enjoy.
Carrots
Carrots are sometimes referred to as a spring vegetable, though they are often available in the fall as well. They also go great with many of your favorite fall recipes such as soup, stew, and casseroles.
You can even eat them raw, adding carrots to your salads or just enjoying them as a snack with ranch or hummus dip.
Roasting carrots is another great option, which just requires a little olive oil, your favorite seasonings, and an oven.
Roasted Carrots
Ingredients
- 12 Carrots
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 Tbsp (total) dried herbs of your choice, such as oregano, thyme, sage, margoram. (An herb blend such as Italian Herbs works well, too.)
- Pinch salt
- Pinch black pepper
Directions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Skin carrots and slice into 1-2 inch peices.
- In a bowl, toss carrots with oil, herbs, salt and pepper.
- Spread out on a sheet pan and roast at for 20 minutes, until browned and tender.
Butternut Squash
There are a lot of different types of squashes that are popular in the fall, though you can’t go wrong with a nice butternut squash. It is low in fat and calories, has a lot of nutrients, and has a creamy texture that is perfect for soup.
In fact, it is commonly turned into butternut squash soup that you can serve on its own or with your choice of bread or crackers. A dollop of sour cream is nice, too.
You can also steam or roast the butternut squash and enjoy with butter, cheese, or pasta.
If you’re not sure what else butternut squash can be added to — try soups you’re making. Even if it doesn’t include them, but includes other vegetables. Cut up some squash and add it. You’ll be surprised what a treat this can be in the soup.
Because butternut squash and pumpkin are very similar in flavor and color, they an be interchanged without modification of the recipes.
Sweet Potatoes and Yams
Don’t forget about your sweet potatoes and yams! These are a sweeter and lower fat versions of white potatoes, as well as being lower in carbohydrates.
Sweet potatoes have so many different uses, from making a healthier French fries or mashed potatoes for frying them, roasting them and boiling them.
More Fall Vegetables
These fall vegetables are great to have but are by no means all the ones you should consider. Some other excellent fall vegetables to enjoy include broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, acorn squash and pumpkin.
In fact, pumpkin can also replace certain ingredients in your baked dishes to make them lower fat, including cakes and cupcakes.
The great thing about these vegetables is the fact that all of them can be used as a vegetable for any of your dinners. So if you want to introduce them to your family that is one way to do it. Or you can find a recipe that highlights one of these fall vegetables and you’ll be hooked on using them. These fall vegetables work amazingly for either option.
